Satellite-based content delivery systems receive program content from a transmitting facility, referred to as a media transmit facility or a head end facility, via one or more satellites. The program content is received at an antenna and is processed by a suitable media device, such as a set top box. The delivered program content, which may be comprised of video and/or audio information, is streamed to a media presentation device for presentation to a user. Non-limiting examples of a media device are stereos, radios, televisions (TVs), digital video disc (DVD) players, digital video recorders (DVRs), or personal computers (PCs), or the like.
Typically, the program content is transmitted in a streaming manner. Thus, once the antenna is adjusted to receive the streamed program content from the satellite, the program content may be provided to a viewer in a continuous, streaming manner.
However, under various conditions, a service interruption may occur. For example, receipt of the program content stream may be interrupted or interfered with, such as when precipitation interrupts and/or interferes with the program content stream being broadcast from the transmit facility to the satellite, and/or from the satellite to the antenna at the user's location. As another example, a service interruption may result when one or more components experience a partial or complete failure, thus interrupting delivery and/or processing of the program content stream.
Prior art systems may employ data redundancy schemes to improve the reliability of program content delivery. However, no level of redundancy will remedy a complete loss of the program content stream signal.
In other situations, the user's viewing activities may also interfere with program content viewing. For example, the viewer may temporarily leave the room, and accordingly, miss a portion of a presented program of interest. Or, the viewer may start viewing a program of interest after the start of the program of interest, thereby missing the initial portion of the program of interest. Or, the viewer may realize that presentation of the program of interest has already concluded, and thus, the viewer has entirely missed presentation of the program of interest.
Prior art systems may employ a digital video recorder or other program content recording-based system so that some of, or all of, the program of interest is saved for later viewing. However, such recording systems must be operated in response to specific viewer input, typically before the program content of the program of interest is streamed out from the media transmit facility. That is, if the viewer has not pre-specified recording of a particular program of interest, it is not saved by the recording system.
Accordingly, there is a need to provide program content during service interruptions. Further, there is a need to provide program content in situations where the viewer wishes to access previously presented program content.